A/N: Apologies for the lack of length, I'm bloody sick right now and this INFERNAL HEAT WAVE is not helping.
Update schedule is a bit scuffed at the moment, juggling a lot of projects. Trying to push through...
On that note, Dance of the Dread is about to jump to an M-rating.
With my fifteen year anniversary on this site finally here, I find myself reflecting on the little things in life. What was once a lazy pastime meant for me and a few friends really grew and evolved over time. There are days when I look back on the last fifteen years here and I wonder if anyone will remember me; if I made an impact, despite never making a single cent on any of these stories. Some days were happier than others, and some stories I enjoyed writing WAY too much; to the point where I'd stay up all night working on them.
And of course, there are times when I look to the future and wonder what will become of things when I'm gone.
Of course, I try not to dwell on the latter overmuch; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. Feels like everyone's lost their minds, the world over. Even before that, so many friends and fellow writers I once knew are gone, now. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.
Not Q&A this time, someone complained. Ah, well.
Alright, I've kept you long enough. So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.
Once more, I own no quotes, references, or memes. Not a wit or a one. NOT! A! THING!
They're all tributes to legends far greater than little 'ol me. Now then...
Brace yourself. This IS Game of Thrones, after all...
Minor verbatim from GOT here~!
"High in the halls of the kings who have gone, a young dragon danced with a ghost. The one she had lost, the one she had found, and the one she loved the most.
The one she'd known for so very long, she couldn't forget his name.He spun her around on damp old Dragonstone, Spun away all her sorrow and pain.
And she never wanted to leave...never wanted to leave... never wanted to leave...
~?
Dancing with Ghosts
Everyone had dragons.
Alicent could scarcely wrap her head around it all; in truth, she wasn't sure she wanted to. The entire royal family had made a resurgence, not just the king now, but the queen as well. Then there was baby Visenya and of course, Rhaenyra. One mustn't forget Daemon either.
Now it seemed Naruto would have a wyrm of his own. Soon, if he had anything to say about it.
By his own admission, he'd held back against the Cannibal only yesterday, but now he seemed curious -eager even!- to seek out the beast of his own accord. Downright determined to track it down, no matter where it lair lay here on Dragonstone. Rhaenyra seemed all too happy to aid him in such.
And where was she in all this?
Stuck here in this infernal sitting room, rocking little Visenya to sleep as dragons wheeled overhead, the girl's own dragon hatchling looking on with wary eyes. This was what she'd been reduced to. Relegated to this base babysitting duty while her dear friend prepared herself for possibly her greatest adventure yet.
It made her feel small. Wretched. Useless.
How could she possibly hope to compare to these legends.
Rhaenyra had encouraged her to be free, but again, how could she?
Seven hells, it was all so wickedly complicated! She longed for simpler days.
It was made all the worse by the sight unfolding before her. Well, below her, really. She was rather high up.
She could see Rhaenyra and Naruto here from the thin slit of her window,
Seeing the two of them together like this, walking on the shore...it hurt. She wasn't quite sure why, but it made her want to cry. They were comfortable with one another, relaxed in a way that implied implicit trust in each other. Yet they weren't truly a couple yet. Something would change soon and she wasn't sure if she was ready for it.
How, then, could she break her chains and be free?
Did she even want to be without Rhaenyra?
Time would tell she supposed...
.
..
...wait.
Wait, wait?
Wait, wait, wait!
What in the seven hells were they doing down there?!
(.0.0.0.)
Dragonstone was not the capital.
Rhaenyra rejoiced in that every day, reveled in it for every minute -every second!- they spent here. Here, where there was no one to spy on them. Here, where she did not feel the burdens of the crown. Here, where she could be herself and walk on the beach in peace without an escort, his hand in hers, surf lapping at their boots. Naruto didn't seem opposed to it, which was all to the good; because...
.
..
...shehadnobloodyideawhatshewasdoing!
"If you want to start courting the boy, then court him." Mother had said that to her suddenly, out of the blue, just this morning. "Best do it soon before someone else snaps him up. You've your work cut out for you there, I'm afraid...
All well and good, really...there was just one problem.
Rhaenyra didn't know how! Not a bit! Not a jot!
She'd never courted anyone before!
Why would she?! There had never been any need prior to this moment; she hadn't really felt much of anything toward anyone before Naruto had washed ashore into her life. The friendship between them had taken some time to bloom, but bloom it had and she found herself undone in his presence. This was fresh, this was new, this was...so very confusing! She felt...
...gods be good, she wasn't sure what she felt for him sometimes. She enjoyed his presence certainly and enjoyed training with him. She took great pride in his strength and skills and wouldn't let anyone speak ill of him. No one. Not Otto Hightower, not Corlys Velaryon, not even her own kin.
Holding his hand had seemed like a natural step, but she didn't know what to do next!
His fingers were warm against hers, his hand easily dwarfing her own. She could feel the callouses of his palm pressing against hers as they walked, his hip occasionally jostling hers. Each bit of contact sent a frisson of warmth blazing through her chest; causing her heart to pound in her ears like never before. She was at her wits end. It certainly didn't help that both her parents had essentially left them to their own devices while they worked to bond with their dragons in the sky. Thus here she was, without a chaperone, utterly at a loss.
-dragon is." Naruto finished speaking suddenly. "Whaddya think?"
Rhaenyra blinked quickly, baffled. Blast it, she'd missed what he said!
"Come again?" she coughed into a fist. "I didn't quite catch what you said."
"I said, I think I know where that dragon is." he finished, looking her way with a rueful smile. "He's good at hiding, but I'm better at seeking."
Rhaenrya latching onto the conversation like a drowning girl. "And what do you intend to do once you find him?"
One shoulder rolled in a half-hearted shrug. "Eh, I'll have a few words with him.
"Do you mean to ride him?"
...maybe?" he shrugged again. "Haven't given much thought to it."
"You? Ride a dragon?" she granted him a sidelong look. "Do you have a deathwish? Its never been done before; not by anyone who wasn't a Targaryen."
"Really?" Her warning only emboldened him. "Now I defnitely wanna try it!"
He could be such a boy sometimes! Still, she liked that about him.
She huffed a little. "He'll try to eat you again.
"He can try." His smile spoke of boundless determination. "He wont succeed."
Hmm. That was something to think about now, wasn't it? If he actually managed to master that beast..well. The world might well think him a Targaryen, regardless of his protests. She rather liked that idea. Indeed, the longer she thought of it the more it appealed to her and the more her hand tightened in his. And if the Realm thought him a Targaryen, well, then there would be no protests at all if they were to be...be...fire and blood, she couldn't even think the word. Her brain fizzled around it.
She found herself longing to move closer and so she did, their arms brushing against one another with evey other step.
"Abruptly," he grinned. "I've got an idea."
She quirked a pale brow. "...am I going to like this idea?
"Depends." his grin grew another inch. "Do you you trust me?
Did she? She supposed so. He'd proven himself worthy of it, if nothing else. "Yes...?
"Great!" he stopped walking completely and pivoted on one heel. "Then don't let go. No matter what."
Rhaenyra had half an instant to realize what he intended. "Wait just a moment!"
Too little, too late, Naruto was already moving like his namesake, sweeping her up off her feet and into his arms. Her face went red. Why was he carrying her like this?! Startled by such impropriety, she flung both arms round her neck with a yelp and clung onto him for dear life. Well that she did, too; because he darted away from land entirely and shot across the water. Cold, salty sea spray lashed at her face to sting her eyes, and she buried her head against his chest to ward off the worst.
Just as suddenly, he stopped. "Alright, this'll do. You can open your eyes now."
Rhaenyra did, fearful of what she might find there.
There was no need.
Her reflection stared back at her from the water's surface in silent serenity. It looked as frazzled as she felt.
Because you see, Naruto was standing on the water. Just...standing here, as though it were a solid surface and not a perilous plunge into the abyss. She cast a desperate glance about herself; sure enough, she found the isle of Dragonstone not far from them -he'd not taken her out of sight of land- but it was a discomfiting sight all the same.
And she couldn't swim. How are you doing this?!
"Easily." he squinted at her. "You mean you people can't walk on water?"
"No!" she smacked his chest, quite cross with him. "Of course we can't! Why would you think we could?!"
"Huh." He blinked once. "Well, you learn something new everyday. "Well, in that case...definitely don't let go of my hands, aright?"
He guided her down, held her hands and bid her to stand atop his feet. So close. Too close! A curious tingle surged through his hands, flowing through their interlocked fingers. At first she didn't see what the point of it all was, but then he began to move, no-don't move! He stepped back and heat speared through her face, first from fear, then anger, then embarassment as she realized she was standing on the water herself. She flailed in a blind panic, but incredibly, didn't find herself sucked under.
"How are you...?!
"I'm channeling my chakra around you." Naruto hummed, his expression only slightly strained. "How's it feel, walking on water? I wanted this to be special."
He didn't give her time to answer, and tugged her back to him with a familiar gait.
Rhaenyra recognized the steps, the twirl that followed them.
Her eyes widened.
"Dance!" She sputtered the word out then swore for the slip. "I mean...you can dance?!
"Not very well." He adopted a rueful little smile as they performed a pirouette and drew her close. "Your old man taught me a little. Thought I'd surprise you...
He certainly had! If this wasn't very well then she shuddered to think what was! Her heard quickened a little as he led her through a slow waltz; he wasn't the best at it, but he was far from the worst. She wasn't sure how much time passed, nor how far they moved, only that they did.
"You've marvelous." a laugh tumbled out of her as she looked back to Dragonstone, drawing steadily closer as they danced their way back to it. "We could stay out here a thousand years. No one would find us."
Naruto laughed.
An awful pang seized at her, then.
She wasn't sure why, only that it did.
"Lets not go back." she stepped into him quickly, letting him lead her through the steps to the shallows. "Lets stay here. I don't ever want to leave this island."
That drew a rather bemused blink from her beloved, baffling blond. "We're not leaving anytime soon-
"No." Her forehead touched his chest, silently pleading him to understand. "Not ever."
Don't leave me. Not ever. You can't.
Because if he ever did...
She would shatter.
A/N: Aaaand scene.
As stated, this'll may well upgraded to M later down the line, but I need to know if folks want to see that.
Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this story, and others. Meaning folks don't like this, it won't be continued. If the story itself ain't popular/well-received...well, I won't be able to continue it. I'm working two jobs, holidays are here too, meaning I barely have time to write; as such, I cannot afford to write something folks don't enjoy.
So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that. Working nearly all hours of the day keep me absurdly busy, and I can't bring myself to write something folks don't like.
So? Should this little tale continue? Or fall into oblivion?
By all means, speak up! Make yourselves heard!
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas…
...Review...Would You Kindly?
And enjoy the Previews!
As ever:
SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!
PLOT DETAILS AHOY!
YE BE WARNED!
Read at your own risk!
As ever, these are from the far flung future...or are they~?!
(Previews!)
"Is the safety and security of the realm not worth one life?"
"You'll never stop at one!" he righted himself with a grunt, turned his head, and spat out a tooth. "I'll take you all on!"
Our lives are the sum of our choices. Good. Bad. Blacks and Greens. This is going to hurt you, Naruto.
"Let it. Pain's an old friend. I've gotten used to it. Their lives means more to me than mine."
"Your fate is already written. You'll die. All men do...why are you laughing?"
"Because! I stopped being human a looong time ago!
Fire can't hurt me! I can walk across water for crying out loud! can't smother me.
Whatcha gonna do, smite me with lightning? No? Didn't think so."
If you're that worried about the Stepstones, send me. I'll have them cleaned out in a year. Probably less. I can keep you and Aemma safe at the same time."
Viserys heaved a sigh. "You are skilled, but even you cannot be in two places at once."
Naruto smiled. It was a smile that would terrifying their enemies. "About that...
Smoke bloomed. Viserys blinked. He blinked hard. "I stand corrected!"
Otto's heart sank into the pit of his stomach. "This...complicates matters."
Naruto whooped and shot through the air.
"Where is Daemon?"
"You think this hurts? Compared to what I went through, being forced to watch you hurt innocent people, and even my own blood! This is NOTHING! Well? How does it feel? To be utterly hopeless and not being able to do a damn thing about it? Fools! How do you think they felt when you ganged up on him in the rain and he had no way out? Well now it's your turn. I hope you enjoy it. Do you feel defenseless? Scared? Good, now you know how they felt before you killed them!
"If you do this you will make enemies. There will be nowhere left for you to run!
"Run?" he tilted his head to look back at them. "Who's running?" Blue eyes bled into red, snapping into furious scarlet slits. "Where?" Golden radiance flashed around him. "And why?!"
The world burst into light.
Visenya whooped, leaned back in the saddle, and flung up her arms. "Dracarys~!"
Her dragon answered in a rush of fire. The girl grinned.
Riding on dragonback was the best!
"Faster, papa! Faster!"
His daughter bounced on his back, grinning from ear to ear as she tugged at his hair.
Naruto smiled despite himself. "Feisty as your mother, I swear...
"What is it, uncle?"
"Pity." Daemon's smile was infectious. "If you wish to bed him, best get on with it before someone else does."
Strong jaws snapped at him.
"Hey, hey!" he caught the dragon's snout. "Cut that out!"
EDIT: Hope you enjoyed! Have a great day!
The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others. Looking forward to hearing what you thought of this sweet little chapter~!
Warm regards,
~Nz.
R&R~!